Elevator cab



L. EA KLEIN l ELEVATOR CAB Oct. 18, 1938.

Filed June 8, 1938 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVNTR QXL.;

ATTORNEY L. E. KLEIN ELEVATOR CAB v oct. 18, 1938.

' Filed June '8, 193s 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 3.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVATOR GAB f Louis Elihu Klein, Bronx, N. Y.

Application June 8, 1938, Serial No. 212,425

5 Claims.

The invention relates to elevator cabs.

In order to prevent rattles or squeaks in elevator cars or cabs itis customary to secure the side walls to each other and the side walls to the dome or roof with the maximum amount of rigidity. The side walls are secured together by lag screws or other means applied from the outside of the car and once the car is positioned in the hatchway the means for fastening the side walls together are inaccessible, or in any event cannot be reached without a great deal of trouble and expense.

'Ihere is always a tendency for buildings to settle somewhat, and this ofttimes results in the elevator guide rails getting somewhat out of alignment. It also happens sometimes that careless installations of rail jobs occur and the guide rails are somewhat out of alignment to start with. Under either of the foregoing conditions undue stress and strains are set up in the elevator car and cause annoying rattles and squeaks which, if not remedied, will result in ruining the car. As the means for fastening the side walls of the car together are practically inaccessible all that can be done is to reset the guide rails and after a time the same condition will invariably exist again.

The principal object of the present invention is to construct an elevator car in which these serious and annoying conditions will be eliminated. In accordance with the invention the means for securing the side walls of the car together and for securing the side walls to the roof of the car are what might be termed flexible and will amply compensate for any reasonable distortion caused by the building settling and the guiderails being out of alignment. The annoying squeaks and rattles will thus be eliminated and, most important, the life of the car will be greatly extended.

Another important advantage of the invention is that substantial saving of time is effected in assembling the car. In accordance with common practice the elevator platform and sling are first installed in the hatchway. The side walls and dome or roof are manufactured and completely assembled in the shop. They are then disassembled and taken to the job where they are to be installed. In accordance with the present invention the side walls are slipped into interlocking engagement with each other and with the dome of the cab with a minimum amount of effort and there is no necessity of at any time reaching into the narrow spaces between the side walls of the cab and the hatchway. When the cabs are assembled in the usual manner the mechanic must reach up from the bottom and down from the top to install and tighten the lag screws or bolts. This is a very arduous and time-taking task and ofttimes the work will not be properly done or when it is extremely inaccessible the screws will not be installed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent vas this specification proceeds. Referring to the drawings forming a part thereof, and in which a preferred form of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View;

Fig, 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the means of fastening the side walls to each other;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View illustrating the means for securing the side walls to the dome or roof of the car; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional View taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Referring again to said drawings the reference numeral I0 designates the platform of the car, II and I2 the side walls, I3 .and I4 the front and rear walls and I5 the dome or roof of the car.

The dome of the car has secured to it by bolts or other meansil and on all sides thereof `at spaced intervals a plurality of narrow plates or straps 2|. As will be noted these straps extend beyond the outer edges of the dome and are provided with apertures to receive bolts 22.

Suitably secured to the side walls, front and rear walls of the cab are L-shaped members 23, the number of these members corresponding to the number of straps 20. As illustrated, the long legs 24 of the L-shaped members are bolted or otherwise secured at 25 in position and the long legs extend above the tops of the walls of the cab. The short legs 26 extend upwardly and outwardly from the tops of the walls and the edges of the dome and are provided with apertures similar to the apertures in the straps 20 for the reception of the bolts 22, thus forming a resilient connection between the side walls and the dome.

The foregoing construction has two important advantages. One is that by virtue of the overhanging parts of the straps being spaced from and secured to the short legs 26 of the L-shaped members a certain amount of iiexibility or give is provided that would not be present with the rigid method of securing the walls to the dome that is now in use. Another important advantage is the fact of the L-shaped members extending slightly above the top of the walls. This construction results in what might be termed providing a seat for the dome and positively insuring a true alignment of the walls with a minimum amount of time and effort.

Bolted or otherwise secured at 30 to both sides of the rear wall are plates 3I. These plates are spaced from each other and extend beyond the side edges of the rear wall. That part extending beyond the edge of the rear wall is provided with a downwardly extending slot 32 extending approximately one half way across the plate and having one of its entrance walls beveled at 33.

The plates 3l form one of the two elements of a series of inter-connecting joints between the rear wall and the side wall I2. The other member of the inter-connecting joint comprises the plate 35 similar in all respects to one of the plates 3|, except it is reversed, that is the slot 36 is upwardly extending. The plates or elements of each of the inter-connecting joints may be so positioned that the lower wall of the slot 32 does not bottom on the upper wall of the slot 36. The inter-connecting joints for securing both side walls to the rear wall and the side walls to the front Wall are identical.

In this manner a construction has been devised wherein, While the walls of the cab are positively secured together they may move slightly in vertical relation to each other and thus suicient flexibility is permitted by the interconnecting joints to allow for any stresses and strains that may occur due to skewing of the cab on account of the guide rails being out of alignment or other unforeseen conditions.

As heretofore stated, this construction permits of great saving and economy in assembling the car. When assembling the cab on the platform the dome is i'lrst suspended and the rear Wall then positioned. The side walls are then hooked on to the rear wall and the front wall hooked on to the side walls. The complete operation is accomplished with ease without stepping off the platform and Without having to reach down or up into the narrow spaces between the cab and the hatchway. A mechanic on top of the car may easily and quickly position the bolts 22 for securing the Walls to the dome of the car.

The walls are secured to the platform by a plurality of knees 40, one of the legs of which is secured to the platform by screws 4l and the other of the legs to the walls by the screws 42. It will be noted the walls are formed of two layers of material, the outer layer being five ply and the inner layer three ply, as shown in the lower left hand part of Fig. 1. The inner layer is glued to the outer layer and covers the upright legs of the knees 40 and the heads of the bolts securing the L-shaped members 23 in position and the heads of the bolts securing the interlocking joints in position, thus making for an extremely neat appearance.

'I'he dome has secured to it on either side a plate 50. These plates have ears 5| which engage the sides of the stiles 52 forming part of the sling of the car. As is well known the sling of the car is rigid with the platform and the plate 50 will, therefore, act to permit vertical movement between the cab and the sling and take up any shocks that might occur due to sudden stopping or starting or other extreme conditions, and thus take the strain off the cab.

Such changes in detail of construction and arrangements of parts as would occur to one skilled in the art are to be considered as coming within the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An elevator cab in which the walls are secured together by a series of inter-connecting joints, said joints permitting a slight vertical movement of said walls in relation to each other, thus permitting skewing of the cab without separation of the walls, each of said inter-connecting joints comprising a pair of plates having parallel slots in engagement with each other.

2. An elevator cab in which the walls are secured together by a series of inter-connecting joints, said joints permitting a slight vertical movement of said Walls in relation to each other, thus permitting skewing of the cab without separation of the walls, each of said inter-connecting joints comprising a pair of plates, one of said plates having a downwardly extending slot and the other of said plates having an upwardly extending slot, the slotted portion being in engagement with each other.

3. An elevator cab in which the walls are secured together by a series of inter-connecting joints, said joints permitting a slight vertical movement of said walls in relation to each other, thus permitting skewing of the cab without separation of the walls, each of said inter-connecting joints comprising a pair of plates having parallel slots in engagement with each other, a dome, and means for securing said dome to said walls, said means comprising a plurality of straps secured to said dome and having portions overhanging the edges of said dome, a plurality of L-shaped members secured to the outer surface of said walls, said L-shaped members extending upwardly and outwardly from the tops of said walls and the edges of said dome with the upward portions of said L-shaped members that are parallel to said walls engaging the edges of said dome, and means for securing said L-shaped members to the overhanging portions of said straps so as to form a resilient connection.

4. An elevator cab in which the Walls are secured together by a series of inter-connecting joints, said joints permitting a slight vertical movement of said walls in relation to each other, thus permitting skewing of the cab without separation of the walls, each of said inter-connecting joints comprising a pair of plates having parallel slots in engagement with each other, a dome and means for securing said dome to said walls, said means comprising a plurality of straps secured to said dome and having portions overhanging the edges of said dome, a plurality of L-shaped members having one of their legs secured to the outer surface of said walls and extending above the tops of said walls and engaging the edges of said dome, the other leg extending outwardly from the top of said first-mentioned leg to form said L-shaped members, and means for securing the said other of said legs of said L-shaped members to the overhanging portions of said straps.

5. An elevator cab in which the walls are secured together by a series of inter-connecting joints, said joints permitting a slight vertical movement of said walls in relation to each other, thus permitting skewing of the cab without separation of the walls, each of said inter-connecting joints comprising a pair of plates having parallel slots in engagement with each other, a dome, means for securing said dome to said walls, and means comprising a plurality of straps secured to said dome, said straps having portions overhanging the edges of said dome, said overhanging portions being secured to members fastened on the walls of said cab, and plates secured to either side of said frame, said plates having ears engaging the stiles of the sling of the car to permit vertical movement between said cab and said sling.

LOUIS E. KLEIN. 

